Organizers apply to open charter school

A new charter school for middle and high school students, the Franklin School of Innovation, could open next year if the organizers’ application is approved by the state.

By Leigh KelleyTimes-News Staff Writer

A new charter school for middle and high school students, the Franklin School of Innovation, could open next year if the organizers’ application is approved by the state. Friday was the deadline set by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction for anyone interested in opening a public charter school to file a letter of intent. Representatives of the Franklin School traveled to Raleigh to submit the paperwork in person, said Michelle Vruwink, a spokesperson for the school’s developers.“We have given them our letter of intent, and we will have our application completed and sent in by March, which is the deadline for applications,” she said. “It’s very exciting. We believe The Franklin School of Innovation meets a need in this area.”The school is partnering with Expeditionary Learning, a nationally recognized educational model, and organizers plan to feature rigorous academics, inquiry-based learning, community engagement through service learning, fieldwork and internships, and a strong component of leadership and character development. Expeditionary Learning is an inquiry-based educational program that provides a lot of “hands-on” instruction. Students are exposed to lessons in a variety of ways, not simply through lectures, Vruwink explained.“This (inquiry-based learning) is more hands-on, more real-world,” she said. “There are currently models of this being used in schools in the area such as SILSA at Asheville High School, AB Tech’s Early College and Evergreen Community Charter School in Buncombe County. They have all been recognized by the state as Honor Schools of Excellence.”If the group’s application is approved, the Franklin School of Innovation would open in August 2014 serving grades six through nine, adding a grade each year to ultimately serve grades six through 12.Vruwink said school representatives, including herself and her husband, Kirk, are currently searching for a place to locate the school, with an eye toward the Hendersonville Road corridor in Buncombe County, although several possible sites are being considered. Henderson County has also not been ruled out. She added that the Buncombe County school district was provided with a copy of the Franklin School’s letter of intent, and the school district is required to submit an impact statement to the state DPI which explains how the charter school would affect the district. Approval from a local school board is not required as part of the public charter school application process, Vruwink said.The Franklin group spent the past six months in the research and planning process in preparation for filing a letter of intent and submitting an application, Vruwink said.“We took a look at what was there and we did want to position ourselves to provide a choice,” she said, adding “it’s not that the public schools here aren’t good; they are, but it is about offering a choice.” The Vruwinks own operate Arroyo Research Services, a company that does educational research and program evaluations for school districts all across the country.More information about the Franklin School can be found at www.Franklinschoolofinnovation.org. Reach Kelley at 828-694-7871 or leigh.kelley@blueridgenow.com.